


My Eyes Are Right Here (At The Reception Desk)

by Aza (sazandorable)



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Office Shenanigans, Screenplay/Script Format, Vaguely Creepy Implications, actually i forgot it was meant to be specifically fluff and light-hearted so it's also, implied spoilers up to season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:35:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22337152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sazandorable/pseuds/Aza
Summary: Daily tasks and office conversations of Rosie [REDACTED], receptionist at the Magnus Institute. Overheard over the course of 2016 and 2017.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims (background implied mutual pining), Rosie & Elias Bouchard, Rosie & Jonathan Sims, Rosie & Martin Blackwood, Rosie & Melanie King, Rosie & Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 146
Collections: The Fluff Archives





	1. Jon, shortly before MAG017

**Author's Note:**

> I do not consent to have my work hosted on any third party app or site. If you are reading this fanfiction anywhere but on the website of archiveofourown, it has been reposted without my permission.
> 
> Written as part of the Rusty Quill Patreon Magnus fluff contest (check out the collection for more submissions), with the help & beta of Cassidy as usual! uwu
> 
> Have decided I love Rosie.

[CLICK]

[ENTRANCE HALL OF THE INSTITUTE]

ARCHIVIST

... and look at the state of the thing!

ROSIE

[UNFALTERING] I apologise for not making it a priority to keep our entire stock of antique tape recorders in top condition for emergency usage.

ARCHIVIST

Audio recording fails on all of our laptops about once a fortnight. Sasha has given up. I need my backup solution to be more than half-way functional.

ROSIE

Why do you even need to record this stuff in the first place?

ARCHIVIST

Look, how I conduct my work is none of your business, I am simply requesting you do yours properly. Speaking _of_ , did you get me those contact details for case #0161301?

ROSIE

I would have...

ARCHIVIST

[WARNING WAITING-FOR-IT GRUNT]

ROSIE

... but Elias told me in no uncertain terms that we're not to disturb anyone with the surname Lukas.

ARCHIVIST

[FLAT] What.

ROSIE

Well, the family are amongst our patrons. Also something about legal settlements. I think he mentioned alimony?

ARCHIVIST

[FLAT] _What._

ROSIE

I can usually tell when he’s joking, but... Well, he didn't elaborate. Shall have to investigate further.

ARCHIVIST

Please do not.

[PEN SCRITCHING NOISES]

... What are you writing.

ROSIE

Just taking note. "Finally found a topic Jonathan doesn't wish to know more about."

ARCHIVIST

[SIGH] I already have more than enough investigative work on my plate as is. With Martin off this week...

ROSIE

[:3c] Oh?

ARCHIVIST

I'm not saying that he is usually a lot of help, mind.

ROSIE

M-hm. Right. Stomach bug, was it?

ARCHIVIST

Apparently.

ROSIE

Hope he feels better soon.

ARCHIVIST

Hopefully not _too_ soon. Thanks to the peace and quiet, I have been able to make progress on quite a few of the more difficult statements.

ROSIE

Right. Got to cope.

ARCHIVIST

I don't see what you're talking about.

ROSIE

You should get some rest too, if you don’t mind me saying. You don't look too perky.

ARCHIVIST

I am _fine_. In fact, I am going back to work. Perhaps you might consider doing the same. Goodbye, Rosie.

ROSIE

It _is_ very quiet without Martin around, huh.

ARCHIVIST

[FOOTSTEPS DEPARTING]

Good _bye_ , Rosie.

ROSIE

[CALLING AFTER HIM] Chin up!

[CLICK]


	2. Tim, shortly after MAG026

[CLICK]

[ENTRANCE HALL OF THE INSTITUTE; GENERIC ADMIN SOUNDS, TYPING, PAPER SHUFFLING]

[FOOTSTEPS IN THE DISTANCE, TYPING STOPS]

ROSIE

Ah, Tim, Tim!

[FOOTSTEPS COMING CLOSER]

TIM

[HOW CAN A MAN BE SO CHEERFUL SO EARLY IN THE MORNING]

Morning, Rosie! How are you doing? Are those new earrings? Lovely!

ROSIE

[PRIM] Yes. Don't start. I've been told to tell you—

TIM

[EXCITED, INTERRUPTING] Oh, oh! Sonja's free for lunch after all?

ROSIE

[NOT SIGHING YET BUT VERY CLOSE] No...

TIM

Oh. [:(] Oooh, don't tell me David is cancelling our library-research date?

ROSIE

[VERY, VERY CLOSE BUT PATIENT] No... Elias wants you in his office.

[BEAT]

About April Fools'.

TIM

Ah. Dressing-down, huh.

ROSIE

Don't.

TIM

Come on, it was great. Jon screamed. Martin cried. Sasha laughed.

ROSIE

Sasha is having paid time off.

TIM

Not because of that!

Come on, Rosie, I know you liked it.

ROSIE

... The fake blood was a nice touch.

TIM

Ha!

ROSIE

Elias didn’t seem to agree.

TIM

Wanna bet I can change his mind?

ROSIE

Maybe when you've finally paid me the 50 quid over Jon's promotion.

TIM

Okay, I still call foul on that one. There is no possible way you could have just guessed that without inside info.

ROSIE

I’ve no need to cheat. I'm just that good. Oh, by the way, Tom's found that book after all, the, uh, _Circus in the 19th Century and_ something something.

TIM

Oh, great! D'you think I can drop by the library before—

ROSIE

If you're that insistent on having Elias murder you.

TIM

Not before 10 am!

ROSIE

Go! Now! _Shoo!_

[TIM MAKES A SHOW OF RELUCTANTLY GOING]

[ROSIE SIGHS; TYPING RESUMES]

[CLICK]


	3. Melanie, between MAG063 and MAG076

[CLICK]

[ENTRANCE HALL OF THE INSTITUTE; GENERIC ADMIN SOUNDS, TYPING, PAPER SHUFFLING]

[ENTRANCE DOOR OPENS, FOOTSTEPS APPROACH]

ROSIE

Hello, Miss King.

MELANIE

[STARTLED; DOUR AND SKITTISH] Oh, hello. Sorry, didn't see you there. Uhm...

ROSIE

Rosie.

MELANIE

Right. Sorry, I'm a little distracted these days.

ROSIE

All the brain power focused on the research, huh?

MELANIE

Yeah.

ROSIE

Violent apparitions, was it?

MELANIE

Y-yeah. Are you also...?

ROSIE

Oh, no, not me! But I see the types all the time. [LIGHT] Can spot a breakthrough in the field of parapsychology five days ahead.

MELANIE

What's that look like?

[PAUSE; MELANIE LAUGHS]

Oh man, does that mean Sims is about to provide proof of the existence of ESP?

ROSIE

Oh, no, no, the Jonathan Sims resting face is like...

[MORE LAUGHTER FROM MELANIE]

There's a nuance.

MELANIE

I see that.

Ah, man. He sure...

ROSIE

Mr. Sims is...

MELANIE

A lot.

ROSIE

A lot. He's not _actually_ all that mean?

MELANIE

 _Well._ Depends. You know, I gave a statement last year, and I'm used to trash talk and not being taken seriously, but he was _such_ an a-hole I was fully ready to just file a formal complaint against him.

ROSIE

I know.

MELANIE

... Do you? I don't think I told anyone.

ROSIE

Well, the face of someone about to file a complaint with the Head Archivist looks like...

MELANIE

[SNORT]

How many?

ROSIE

I'm afraid that is confidential information I am not at liberty to share.

MELANIE

Aww.

That means at least one.

ROSIE

At the _very_ least.

MELANIE

Heh.

Well, he's the one that gave me access to the library, so. I suppose it's good Sasha talked me down out of it in the end.

ROSIE

I'm glad.

MELANIE

Mm.

Speaking of Sasha, I haven't seen—

ROSIE

Oh dear, library's closing in just ten minutes though, you should—

MELANIE

Right, I was just picking up some requests—

ROSIE

Hurry, hurry!

MELANIE

Right. Pleasure, Rosie. Thank you.

ROSIE

See you around, Miss King.

[CLICK]


	4. Martin, shortly after MAG082

[CLICK]

[QUIET TINKLING OF TEA-WARE]

ROSIE

Biscuits?

MARTIN

[SUBDUED] Thanks.

Thank you, Rosie.

ROSIE

I can use a break too. Police in and out all day. Detective Tonner isn't very nice, is she?

MARTIN

[STRAINED LAUGHTER] Well, they're doing their job, aren't they!

[TENSE PAUSE]

She's so scary, Rosie.

ROSIE

[UNPERTURBED] There, there.

MARTIN

She, she won't even listen. She doesn't care what we say, she's decided Jon did it —

ROSIE

She thinks Jon did it?

MARTIN

There's no way!

ROSIE

[BACKGROUND] I know, I know.

MARTIN

There is _no way_ she can believe that! How could anyone believe that!

ROSIE

[NEUTRAL] Tim does.

MARTIN

Tim's — Tim's got some grievances, but that's got nothing to do with — there is _no. way._ that Jon killed someone. He would never.

ROSIE

You really can’t see it?

MARTIN

[OUTRAGED] What!

ROSIE

Mr. Sims, in the archives, with the lead pipe... Although to be fair, I’m not confident he’s strong enough to actually swing that thing—

MARTIN

[BACKGROUND MUMBLING] I’ve tried making him eat properly...

ROSIE

—but he has been... you know.

MARTIN

He's been having a _nervous breakdown_.

It’s like no one else here cares.

ROSIE

[NONCOMMITTAL NOISE]

MARTIN

Jon wouldn't hurt Sasha. Never in a million years.

[QUIET] God, I hope—

ROSIE

Mmm.

Speaking of Sasha...

MARTIN

—I hope she's okay.

ROSIE

She'd been acting quite strange herself, hasn't she?

MARTIN

... What do you mean?

ROSIE

Well, since the worms, she’s been, you know, different.

MARTIN

What are you talking about?

ROSIE

You didn't notice?

MARTIN

Noticed what?

ROSIE

Never mind.

Your tea's going to go cold.

MARTIN

[STARTLED] Oh, right.

[OFF-MINDED TINKLING OF TEA-WARE]

ROSIE

[REASSURING] Don’t worry about Detective Tonner, I’ll tell her off if she comes back. I’ll make sure she leaves you alone.

MARTIN

… Right.

ROSIE

Sic a spider on her.

MARTIN

That’d be mean for the spider.

ROSIE

Have another biscuit. [SHUFFLING] I've got a box of Jaffa cakes.

MARTIN

Oh. Those are my favourite.

ROSIE

Mhmh, I know.

[CLICK]


	5. Elias, shortly after MAG092

[CLICK]

[ELIAS' OFFICE; OPPRESSIVELY QUIET, CLOCK TICKING IN THE BACKGROUND THROUGHOUT]

[KNOCK-KNOCK]

ELIAS

Yes, Rosie.

[DOOR OPENS]

ROSIE

Elias? I just... wanted to check that everything is okay.

ELIAS

Quite. Thank you for handling the police. Sorry about that little misunderstanding.

ROSIE

Sure.

Is… is Mr. Sims back with us?

ELIAS

[DEEPLY SATISFIED] Yes.

Are you worried about the... murder?

ROSIE

[BEAT; DUH-BUT-IN-A-POLITE-WAY]

Well. I mean, yeah.

ELIAS

No need to be. [AUDIBLE PATERNALISING SMILE]

ROSIE

If you say so, Mr. Bouchard.

ELIAS

New security camera footage shows Jon smoking outside at the time. I expect all charges will be dropped very soon. Tell human resources to reopen his employee file, will you?

ROSIE

Sure.

Not Sasha’s, though.

ELIAS

No.

Was that all?

ROSIE

[STAMMERING BUT INSISTENT] Well, I... well, Mr. Sims looked quite — and then the police came, and there was a lot of shouting in here, and I… and I was worried, I just wanted to —

ELIAS

Know what happened in here?

ROSIE

[IMMEDIATELY] Yes.

ELIAS

… Were you really? Worried?

ROSIE

Well Mr. Sims _was_ suspected —

ELIAS

[NOT REALLY A QUESTION] But were you _worried_?

ROSIE

[PAUSE]

I…

No.

It's just, nothing about that entire affair has felt right. Jon's not a killer. He looked really, er, unwell, but I wasn't worried he might hurt you.

ELIAS

How _did_ you feel?

ROSIE

Curious.

ELIAS

Mmm.

You see a lot of things, Rosie, don't you?

ROSIE

Well. I check on the people coming in and out. I watch out. That's my job.

ELIAS

It certainly is.

Do you like it?

ROSIE

I...

[SHORT PAUSE; A COUPLE TICKS FROM THE CLOCK]

Yes.

[LONGER PAUSE; UNNERVING TICKING]

ELIAS

Good.

You know, Rosie, we are happy to have you here.

[CLICK]


End file.
